The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-29

TEN days anyhow, mebbe two weeks"
he answered. 1.-THE wilder I'll expect me to
settle up his affairs, more or less.n
! Ted looked at Nan with a grimace of un-
utterable delight; if the father had seen it,
it is doubtful whether duty even could have
urged him from home, certainly not without
administering a spanking all round.
"Get my things ready as soon as you can,''
he resumed, ''for / want to catch the three
o'clock train, sure, and you, Ted, get the
boss harnessed so'st to take me to the
depot"
"Yess'r," replied Ted; no danger but
that Ted would do his share, and be on time,
too.
Nan was on hand, like a Jack-in-the-box,
to spring at every call, and bring the soap
and the towel, the backing brush and whisk
broom, for Joseph Rexford loved to be
waited on, and his toilet for a journey, long
or short, was the signal for q series Of
| gymnastics, participated in by the whole
family.
door, and Ted, with q very unbecoming
shade of happiness on his c~ountenance, held
the reins.
"You'l want some money, I s'posea" said
Mr.. Rexford, graciously, for him, as he
drew on his ~overcoat. "There's five dol
lars,' and he passed the precious morsel
out from a roll of greenbacks, gingerly; he
was not 8 poor man, by any means, and
could have given her twenty-five just as
easily.
ayes, Joseph" she replied, meekly, as
she tucked away the bill; she did not intend
he should ever see it again, or an exhaust
i've report Of the uses made of it, either.
"Wall, goodbye, Jane" Che drew on his
gloves) "don't let the young ones run over
you while Tn gone"
"No, Joseph" she replied, demurely,
with an inward smile.
He went out; there was no silly demon
stration of affection at parting. A kiss from
those stern lips would have been an aston
ishment that the family would not nave re-
covered from in q week, and, getting into
the waiting sleigh, old Doll moved away.
Nan turned a somersault; she was a fine,
loving child, and would have been as happy
as a lark, under favorable circumstances.
"Oh, goody, goody, goodyl" she ex-
claimed, in glad sollloquy.
flush, Mamie" said the mother, re-
provingly, though in her secret heart she
| could not blame the child for the ebullition.
Ted returned in due time, and the de-
parture was an assured thing, and the boy
ia AOAN w liz k4Ou0 y I'LL 0ILC0SkOu
Of self-respect, as he took his place as man.
Of the house. One week was only a short
time to plan in, but judicious effort can ac-
complish much in even o weeks time, and
Mrs. Rexford's plans were chiefly in the
line Of a merry-making, such a one as they
had never been allowed to have. (
Her first move was q letter to a sister,
living twenty miles away with al invitation
to spend Christina IS.
A visit from Aunt Nan was q rare treat
to the children at any time, one which they
rarely enjoyed, however, for Aunt Nan and
Joseph Rexford were not congenial spirits,
she not being able to bottle u pher indignant
wrath when he exercised his peculiar gift
of government in her presence; he not
relishing her .smeddlin','' as he designated
her rather free use OF her tongue on coca
ssions, and so she wisely concluded that it
was best to see as little Of the domestic
economy as possible. and kept away, to Mrs.
Rexford's mingled grief and relief.
Teddy's heart, in the meantime, was filed
with . great longing; he wanted to make
the patient little mother, whom he loved
with . tender, chivalrous devotion, . Christ
ma present.
In the thirteen years Of his life he had no
remembrance Of her receiving a Christmas
gift, and he was in o brown st,tiy the great
or parL.of his time, planning aud contriving
soiIe way to,surprise her with = present,
but ~ yet no way had opened.
4 Harness Dol. Teddy, and we II go tothc
village to-day. said the mother one morn
Ing. Teddy smiled knowingly .s he hur led
ss w 10 obey her request. 81 III y shprs
u they were on t'isir III ..aSow you
ii u q follow me around. st sud, with y
81 tlI,y neared the vi M: Ted am
~ h.r with q k,lpwin.yy. ,nging.
lsSa. Hs ..sn,<ai 10 AJAX BIZ hi ~